To want the UK to provide health plans like pet plans

[2018mumof2]

Hi I probably sound completely crackers however I have been thinking more and more since my partner got a job which includes private health care that doesn’t necessarily help with people’s health and that there must be better services to keep people’s health in check.. even if we have to pay for it.

I cannot speak for everyone as obviously every person has their own circumstances but me for instance I pay £20 per dog for a health plan which includes a 6 month review and a 12 month review, annual vaccinations etc.

I left the vets thinking today if properly managed and with the right pricing behind it why can’t there be a service like that for people? Why does it need to be something is wrong before we go to a GP, why can’t we just have a MOT type health check where your health is checked, it might warn people who fall unknowingly into obesity etc.

I would happily pay more than £20 for that kind of service for me and my family if it was available.. what do people think? I know it sound strange being compared to pets but AIBU or not?

We do get MOTs. I've just been invited for one.

Since I can't get a GP appointment, I'm going in with a list.

Between the ages of 40-74 you can have an nhs health check every 5 years if it’s offered in your area, I believe Lloyds pharmacy also offer them, IF you have no underlying health issues such as diabetes, hypertension etc.

The check cholesterol, blood sugars, weight, family history, alcohol, diet etc and then give you your risk score of developing cardiovascular disease and offer lifestyle advice to reduce your risk.

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/nhs-health-check/how-do-i-get-an-nhs-health-check/

Since I can't get a GP appointment, I'm going in with a list.

totally inappropriate @gamerchick as they are done usually by health care assistants or GP assistants who likely won’t be able to help with your list or, if you insist on chatting through your list, won’t have time for your health check.

Really? I’ll have to look into those then, are they for a certain age range or not. I mean I am only 29 but I am starting to think more and more about the fact that I am pretty much blind to my own health and unless something is wrong you may not see it.

I have researched full cancer checks etc. but they are over £1000 a time for a full one to be done.

If you pay privately you can access those things. There is no pet NHS.

Between the ages of 40-74 you can have an nhs health check every 5 years

You’re too young then, so private?
Tbf, if you are fit and healthy, have a good diet and keep your weight in check there probably isn’t much need tbh.
https://www.spirehealthcare.com/spire-elland-hospital/treatments/specialist-clinics/annual-health-check-clinic/

YABU. It’s a slippery slope. I prefer the dysfunctional system we have now to anything like what they have in the US.

There are health MOTs and screenings provided in a targeted way by the NHS.

Yeah you can pay for things if you pay privately but they only seem to be health insurance and once you are diagnosed you get money back on treatment.

I’m taking about health payment plans such as £100 a month and you get cancer checks, blood tests, 6 and 12 month health checks

I have researched full cancer checks etc. but they are over £1000 a time for a full one to be done

The pet health checks are just a consultation - they'll visually inspect their eyes, ears, coat etc, listen to their chest, palpate for obvious masses, but they aren't running full bloods or doing an MRI scan.
It's on par with a GP appointment, not a full body cancer scan.

Have a look into the pros and cons of public health screening programmes - those sorts of tests have a false positive rate which can result in unnecessary procedures for healthy people.

Simply health is a cash back plan, I have a yearly health check on mine, have bloods done, cholesterol checked, heart check etc. it also pays out for consultations, , chiro, Osteo, teeth, dental, eyes,

Most health insurance plans exclude previous conditions, so for me that would be:
Tinnitus (so no hearing aid help), a bone spur on my spine in my neck which is causing abnormal sensations, palpitations (probably benign), a mass in my breast which is under investigation, lower back pain due to bone marrow oedema (waiting for pain-killing injections), a rectocele and abnormal sensations in my legs and feet which have been put down to fibromyalgia.
I would probably have to pay a huge premium and would still not be eligible for the conditions I have.
I wouldn't pay, because it wouldn't be worth it.
I am due to inherit some money soon, however, and am considering spending some of it on the things that are bothering me the most - that's excluding the breast mass because I'm expecting (and hoping) that this will be dealt with quickly. All of the others are things that I'm going to be waiting months for, and some of them I've already been waiting over a year....

I know it is a slippery slope but it is the term targeted way by the NHS that bothers me, health is not a general thing and it is not one size fits all.. why should there be obesity treatments etc. being paid for on the NHS but no regular two a year health checks which keep you in touch with those things.

Move away from my pet example for a moment then and focus on dentists they were once NHS primarily but patients still got 3-4 appointments a year depending on how often you were seen, just general check ups and anything further would be advised off.

why has nothing been arranged for general health like that? Posters say MOT’s are available over a certain age but why are they not enrolled out for younger to pay for it they wish? I’d happily pay for a health plan if I knew that is what it was rather than “insurance”

But £100 / month is still over £1,000 / year.

A lot of cancers are linked to lifestyle so if you are following the advice - bmi under 25 (can check online), less than 14 units alcohol / week, 150 mins exercise/ week, 5 fruit and veg portions / day you are probably still healthier than the majority of people in the UK.

If you're not, then will a blood test make you change?

And if you can't pay for it?

Good luck with that, the older your dog gets the premiums go up, and then lots of things are not covered. A bit like private healthcare!

Though it seems counterintuitive, screening for issues and treating them doesn't always improve health outcomes. Sometimes it can be completely the opposite. There are many many varied examples of this in healthcare, from maternity care to cancer. That's why we tend to focus screening on issues and populations where the benefits are shown to outweigh the costs.

I get health checks done with these people. Is this the sort of thing you're looking for ?

https://www.bluecrestwellness.com

I think with things like obesity surely that should be down to personal responsibility. Of course the food industry needs a massive overall (not just replacing sugar with carceogenic shite). But at the end of the day it's quite easy to know if you are overweight. More promotion of a healthy lifestyle, cheaper access to sports and quality healthy food, more education on spotting the signs of ill health all important but nothing is more important than looking after one's own body.

Your pet plan is private healthcare for your pet so just pay for private healthcare if you want the same…

@ItsReallyOnlyMe Yes! That would be the type of thing I’m talking about and it doesn’t appear to have an age limit which sound good.

I don’t know if it is becoming a mum in the last few years and seeing my health change and now paying for my dogs to be insured, have health checks where I book in annual vaccinations and in the health reviews I am told your dog is on this scale (3-5 which is good) and we don’t want him to go higher that I just think why can’t we have something like this.

I've joined Benenden, purely for the fact it covers things like needing a scan, Xray, or to see a consultant & in case I need a routine operation. It covers most common surgeries other than heart surgery & joint replacements. If you can't get an NHS appointment within 3 weeks or surgery within 5 weeks you can choose to go private.

My dog is now 10 years old and I pay nearly £100 each month for his pet plan cover. That only covers him for £7000 of veterinary treatment a year. An op to remove a benign lump from his toe recently cost more than £1200.

£7000 is not going to cover much human medical care, especially if you end up with a serious ongoing illness. Just the migraine tablets I need would cost £20 a month. Goodness knows what the premiums would need to be to make it workable.

Nobody will like this answer but this is something that is done and encouraged by private health insurance. I’m in the US.

‘Well Visits’ are a thing and encouraged as well as regular screenings at age appropriate intervals. So annual* gynecologist visits are covered, check ups with GPs (PCPs) and specific screenings (mammogram, colonoscopy, etc) are covered with a small copayment in some situations.

*Annual was what I was used to I think it’s been updated to 2-3 years with no issues but could be every 6 months if something is detected and being watched.

Exactly.

My mum is on tablets for Hep C. Cost for 12 weeks of the medication is over £36k.

In that case any accident that could have been avoided should be self funded too. Why should I pay for people who choose to take more risks than me?